The present invention relates to a fastener assembly for fastening an automobile interior part, that is, upholstery or trim material, to selected areas of a body panel part.
Presently, such fasteners usually employ two or three elements for joining or fastening a depending member of the interior part or panel (trim or upholstery) to an aperture in the body panel member of the automobile. For this purpose a grommet or retainer member generally in the form of an oblong receptacle is designed to receive a spring clip member, which assembly is inserted into the aperture of a body panel in a snap-fit like manner. A depending member of the interior panel is then inserted into the clip member within the grommet assembly and is retained thereby. Alternatively, the clip member, the depending portion of the interior panel and the grommet assembly can be united and then inserted as a single unit into the oblong hole in the body panel member in a snap-fit manner.
Such conventional fastener arrangements as above described perform as one-way fasteners; that is, once they are installed they are not intended to be removed without incurring damage to the depending prong member of the interior part that is fastened to the grommet assembly, since the metal retaining clip is designed to cut or gouge the softer plastic material of the prong member for maximum holding or pull-down power. Consequently it is difficult to remove such fasteners when it is desirable to service or replace interior parts or panels of the automobile. Also, the aforementioned grommet serves merely as a gripping receptacle for the clip and prong part of the assembly and for this purpose is provided with pliant leg members cut out of the side walls thereof for facilitating a snap-fit with the oblong hole in the body panel member to which it is normally fitted. Because the grommet is defined by slots and apertures, owing to the cut out portions, the grommet is free to pass moisture and fluid from the exterior of the body panel to the interior of the fastener assembly, thus hastening the progress of rust and corrosion between the metal parts of the clip member, as well as allowing leakage of fluid into the interior of the automobile.